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California
Battles Devastating Wildfires |
Posted:
10.24.07
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Fierce winds and no rain in California continue to fuel wildfires
that have destroyed more than 1,400 homes or businesses, leading
authorities to urge over half a million people to evacuate.
Printer-friendly version: PDF
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Fire personnel battling the fires, which began Oct. 20, are
hampered by the strong dry Santa Ana winds, which are typical
in the fall season.
 The
winds, caused by pressure differences on the eastern side of the
San Gabriel Mountains, rush down the mountains, typically raising
the air temperature on the coast by 10 degrees.
This week the winds have reached gusts of nearly 100 mph -- 60
mph more than normal-- and temperatures are 20 degrees above normal,
the New York Times reported.
"We're in what we call the perfect storm of fire conditions,"
one firefighter told the NewsHour.
Local firefighters are counting on the winds to die down so they
can send up more aircraft to drop water on the flames.
"If it's this big and blowing with as much wind as it's
got, it'll go all the way to the ocean before it stops,"
San Diego Fire Capt. Kirk Humphries told CBS News. "We can
save some stuff but we can't stop it."
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Area of destruction |
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About a dozen fires are burning from north of Los Angeles to
the Mexican border. Nearly 600 acres have been scorched, an area
the size of New York City.
 "We
are entering day three of what appears to be one of the worse
fires, probably the worst fire in San Diego County history, and
easily one of the worst fires in the history of the state of California,"
said Ron Roberts, San Diego Board of Supervisors Chair.
The last major blaze in 2003 killed 16 people and destroyed about
2,000 homes. Authorities credit early actions and lessons from
that fire for the lower death toll this time: five people as of
October 24.
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Evacuated |
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People in the fire zone are finding shelter with family and friends
or public shelters such as Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego
Chargers football team.
 Local
businesses, non-profit organizations and private citizens have
rushed to the shelters to help those whose homes were destroyed.
One family, Mike and Tere Miller of Rancho Bernardo, lost everything
minus a few essential papers.
"If you even think that something's going to happen, you
should prepare, and consider all the things that are most meaningful
to you. Because once they're gone, you can never get them back,"
Tere Miller tearfully told NBC's "Today" show.
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Aid and assistance |
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President Bush, who is scheduled to travel to the region Thursday,
declared a state of emergency, authorizing the Department of Homeland
Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate
all disaster relief efforts.
 Mindful
of the embarrassment his administration suffered after Hurricane
Katrina two years ago, the president quickly dispatched his Homeland
Security chief Michael Chertoff to assess the damage.
The president "wants to ensure that the state and local
governments are getting what they need from the federal government,"
said White House press secretary Dana Perino.
However, California Sen. Barbara Boxer issued a statement complaining
that because much of the National Guard have been deployed to
Iraq, the response is weaker than it could be.
Additional fire crews from neighboring western states arrived
Tuesday to help the worn-out local crews.
--Compiled
by Annie Schleicher for NewsHour Extra
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